Our family was recently extended a very special invitation to attend a special NYC screening event for the new movie Annie sponsored by The Moms and Norwegian Cruises. Taking time to enjoy a family movie night together with my family is always a delightful gift. With the holiday season in full swing, I am sharing four special gifts that are treasured takeaways for all to reflect on from the newly updated remake of the classic movie Annie. 
Establishing herself as a triple threat, Quevenzhané Wallis sings, dances and gives Annie a splash of urban diva girl fun alongside Jamie Foxx as the shiny headed, Mr. Stacks and Cameron Diaz, the "toasty" foster mother, Miss Hannigan. As a true fan of the original Annie, I have to say that I am also a true fan of the remake and not just because we spent some time getting to know the lovely little ladies, Zoe Margaret Colletti (Tessie), Nicolette Pierini, (Mia), Eden Duncan-Smith (Isabella), and Amanda Troyer (Pepper) that co-starred as Annie's foster sisters. Annie was a singalong, dance in your seat, laugh out loud funny kinda movie.
Reading up on variations of celebrating holiday trends and traditions, I came across this very practical guide for family gift giving. There are four basic categories of gifts that we can share with our families. Give them something they want, something, they need, something to wear and something to read. Annie teaches us all how we can use these gifts in our everyday lives, not only during the holiday season.A Gift of Want
As many of us may recall, in the movie Annie is desperately in search of her parents that for whatever reason abandoned their spirited, singing, dancing little girl. Family and friends are so vital to our happiness. Reach out and visit or get in contact with loved ones just because. It may be a little gesture from you that means the world to someone else. Keep your connections strong, as one of us succeeds, we all succeed.
A Gift of Need
Though expressed in many different ways, we all have a need to love and be loved. One of the basic human needs is for love and connection. Unfortunately, there are no coupon code, early bird discounts or Freebie Friday deals here. Be present, be available, connect and give the love that we all want and need. Be warned, if you give love, you just might get some love back!
A Gift to Wear
Annie and her exquisitely tailored, iconic red dress are symbolic of Annie's transformation into a more confident young lady. While I believe in always presenting your best self, sometimes that one item that we can put on to give us that little extra boost of confidence helps so much more that we could ever imagine. It is more about the presentation than the price. My kids and I proudly wear Grandma's hand knitted scarves because she took the time to make them especially for each of us, there is no big name brand that can top Grandma and the magic of her yarn.
A Gift to Read
The importance of literacy is a personal passion of mine. I support countless organizations in support of literacy of all ages and am proud to say that in our home, we are raising readers. There are always books under our family's Christmas tree. In the remake of the movie Annie, literacy is addressed as a current, growing concern. We live in an steadily advancing society where aside from technological knowledge, literacy skills are essential to success. It is never too late or too early to give the gift of reading.
It was a surprise to read these four categories of gifts that families use as a gift-giving guide. We were actually already using this thought process in selecting gift for our children without really giving much thought to the process. We do not ask our kids for special requests around the holidays or birthday because as we engage in general daily conversation, we hear their hints and hollers. We give gifts that we hope that they will enjoy, find educational and more importantly appreciate as being given to them with love always. Please note the Annie red and Annie hair!